AACC 2026
10 - 14 Apr, 2026
Seattle
Location
Washington
The American Association for Community Colleges (AACC) Annual Conference is the premier event for community college leaders and partners in the two-year college sector. With dynamic keynotes, insightful breakout sessions, cutting-edge technology showcases, peer-to-peer learning, and unmatched networking opportunities, it’s your gateway to innovation, collaboration, and leadership growth.
Join us for these sessions:
CEO Think Tank: From Transactions to Transformations: How AI is Redefining Student Engagement as an Institutional Strategy
Student engagement is no longer just a service function—it’s a strategic differentiator. As AI reshapes communication and personalization, colleges can move beyond transactional outreach to create authentic, data-informed relationships at scale. In this session, CEOs will explore how AI-driven engagement can strengthen trust, retention, and institutional impact—without losing the human touch.
Expanding Community College Capacity with Agentic AI
Agentic AI—AI that can reason, plan, and act autonomously—is opening a new pathway for community colleges to expand capacity in enrollment services, advising, onboarding, and student support without adding staff. This session introduces the core components of agentic AI and explains how they differ from basic chatbots and scripted automation. Attendees will explore real examples from two-year institutions, such as automated onboarding tasks, proactive advising outreach, FAFSA follow-up, and re-engagement of adult learners and stopped-out students.
Presenters:
J.C Bonilla, Ph.D, Joshua Schwartz Ed.D
Strategic AI and Student-Centered Innovation: Resourcing Student-Focused Infrastructure
In a world where disruption is a necessity rather than a possibility, Clark State College rethinks what it means to be “college-ready” by asking whether the college is ready for its students and by placing the student experience at the center of the redesign, guided by strategic use of artificial intelligence and other technologies. This session shares real-world case studies—such as the nursing program’s integration of Unbound Medicine to keep pace with expanding healthcare knowledge and the deployment of Element451, an AI-powered CRM that personalizes outreach to boost engagement and persistence—and outlines Clark State’s college-wide AI governance process where faculty leadership and institutional vision shape policies that ensure AI amplifies humanity. Through interactive discussion and forward-looking frameworks, attendees will explore how to manage rapid, disruptive change, determine whether they are innovating processes or merely fixing them, and consider how AI can create more room for meaningful human engagement in the student journey.
Presenters:
Matt Frantz, Kelly Sinacola
More Events
13 - 15 May, 2026
OHECC 2026
Element451 will be at the OHECC 2026 Conference (Ohio Higher Education Computing Council), May 13 to 15, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio, a statewide gathering of higher education IT leaders, CIOs, and technology professionals. The conference focuses on sharing strategies, best practices, and emerging approaches to digital transformation across campuses. We will be there sharing how Element451 helps institutions use AI to streamline operations, improve engagement, and deliver more connected, student-centered experiences.
10.00 AM EST
18 - 20 May, 2026
CPRAM 2026
Join Element451 at the 2026 CPRAM Conference, May 18–20, 2026, hosted by Northwest Mississippi Community College at the Heindl Center in Senatobia, Mississippi. CPRAM is where higher ed communicators across the state come together to swap strategies, spark new ideas, and celebrate award-winning work. Stop by to see how Element451’s AI-powered agents can help your team streamline workflows, elevate outreach, and support students with faster, more personal communication—without adding to your plate.
09.00 AM CST
Thursday, 21 May, 2026
The Human Sandwich: How Richard Bland College Uses AI Without Losing the Human Touch
As Richard Bland College worked to scale enrollment and create a more personal student experience, it faced a pressing question: How do you grow enrollment, embrace AI, and keep up with rapid change without losing the human connection students need most? In this webinar, Justin May, Chief Enrollment Officer at Richard Bland College, will share how his team uses a “human sandwich” approach to AI-powered enrollment: humans start the relationship, AI agents handle the transactional middle, and humans step back in at the moments that matter most. The result is a more scalable, more personal student journey that gives staff more time for relationship-building while improving follow-up, consistency, and momentum throughout the enrollment process. Attendees will learn how Richard Bland College: - Used AI agents to take on transactional work and support timely follow-up - Built a more personalized enrollment journey through agent-supported workflows - Tested and refined where AI could improve speed, consistency, and momentum - Applied a human-first model for adopting AI across the student journey This session is ideal for enrollment, admissions, and student success leaders looking to scale support, improve responsiveness, and keep people at the center of the student journey.
02.00-03.00 PM EST
Zoom
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